Tripod support stand

Abstract

A tripod support apparatus comprises an open collar having three leg receivers extending outwardly from the collar in spaced apart positions. Each of three support legs is removably engaged with one of the leg receivers at an upper end, with the support legs depending downwardly from the leg receivers, thereby supporting the open collar at a desired position above a support surface. A leg brace assembly engages the support legs medially so as to brace the support legs in a downwardly divergent stance. With the legs disengaged from the collar, the brace assembly is able to be folded to allow the three legs to assume positions in a common plane for shipping, storage and improved portability.

1 . A support apparatus comprising: a collar having at least three leg receivers positioned in extending outwardly spaced apart positions around the collar: at least three elongate support legs, each of the support legs removably engaged within a slot in one of the leg receivers at an upper proximal end of the support leg, the support legs depending divergently downwardly from the leg receivers for supporting the open collar above a support surface; and a leg brace assembly engaging the support legs medially, the leg brace assembly configured so as to rotate for placing the support legs in a common plane for compact storage; wherein, an upper proximal end of each of the support legs is formed as an inverted V-shape, the slots of the leg receivers each converging upwardly for accepting the V-shape of the support legs in tight-fitting engagement.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the slots provide opposing inner sidewall surfaces, at least one of the sidewall surfaces providing at least one protrusion positioned for snap-in engagement of the support leg.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein an upper proximal end of each of the support legs is formed as an inverted V-shape, the slots of the leg receivers each converging upwardly for accepting the V-shape of the support leas in tight-fitting engagement.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the support legs are sized for forcefully bypassing the protrusions during entry into the vertical slots of the receivers, the protrusions thereafter positioned inside an apex of the V-shape of the support legs thereby securing the support legs in the receivers.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least three elongate support legs comprise exactly three support legs; the leg brace assembly comprising a first brace rod fixedly joining two of the three support legs at a first and a second terminal ends of the first brace rod, the leg brace assembly further comprising a second and a third moveable brace rods, each of the second and third brace rods loosely engaging one of the first and the second terminal ends of the first brace rod and each of the second and third brace rods loosely engaging the third of the three support legs in sliding engagement.  
   
   
       6 . A method of use of a flower arrangement support apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: engaging elongate support legs in slots of leg receivers of a collar and depending the legs downwardly from the collar in off-vertical divergent positions; attaching a first horizontal brace rod of a leg brace assembly medially between two of the support logs; engaging a second and a third brace rods rotationally at ends of the first brace rod; engaging a common end of the second and third brace rods slidingly with a third of the support legs for stable display of the flower arrangement; and for compact storage, removing the collar from the support legs, rotating the second and the third brace rods vertically and simultaneously drawing the third of the support legs and the second and third brace rods into a plane common with the first and second legs and the first brace rod.